Collapsible hat



My present invention Patented Jan. 3, 1 950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE HAT Elizabeth H. Rankin, Lawrence, Kans.

Application November 12, 1947, Serial No. 785,302

concerns the art of hat making and relates more specifically to a collapsible hat, the primary object being to provide a basic structure capable of folding to a flat condition for shipment prior to formation into the final designs desired.

The most important object of this invention is to provide a collapsible hat having a cubical crown, the side walls and tip whereof are defined by lines of bend so disposed as to permit folding of the crown into a flat condition.

Another important object is the provision of a collapsible hat having the aforesaid lines of bend set off by distinct creases formed in the material from which the hat is made, which creases are outlined and held by lines of stitching, blockin or pressing.

Other objects lie in the peculiar disposition of the lines of bend setting off distinct side walls in the crown, which side walls are again subdivided into a pair of sections; the manner in which a polygonal tip joins the side walls by lines of flex; and the way in which the hat brim merges with the crown, to the end that the entire hat body is formed from shaped bodies, hoods and a single piece of initially flat material. In the drawing: 7 Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a collapsible hat made in accordance with one form of my invention, showing the same in the open condition. i Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the hat in collapsed condition, with a portion of the crown turned back to more clearly disclose the connated by the number I6, having a crown. I2 and a brim I4. E

The crown I2 is divided into a number ofside walls I8, there being four shown to presentja cubical interior. Side walls I8 are further, di-

vided into a pair of sections 26 and 22 and crown I2 also has a tip portion 24.

The body I0 is initially formed from a flat piece of flexible and preferably highly pliable material such as felt. The first steps of blocking, stretching the crown and brim and forming 7 Claims. (01. 2 175) generallyzis well-known in the art and need not be 'detailed;'--Conventional hoods and shaped forms 'may'be employed in making body Ill.

The four side walls I6 of the crown I2 are set oil by substantially vertical lines of fold 26, there beinga pair of these lines 26 along each side of each wan I8. Lines of fold 26 are each formed by creating an exterior crease in the material from which body I6 is made and then pressing,

blocking or" applying a line of stitching 28 throughout the length of the crease to hold the same in place. It is to be noted that the lowermost ends of all the side walls I8 merge into the brim I4 and that the creases 26 all terminate at their lowermost ends at such point of merger.

The tip 24 of crown I2 is four-sided to agree with the four side walls I8, there being lines of flex 30formed in the body I0 to set off tip 24 from walls I6. These lines of flex 36 are creased outwardly in the'same manner as creases 26 and a line of stitching 32 maintains such lines 36 in 'a' creased condition. 7

'The two sections 20 and 22 of each side wall I8 are defined by the lines 26 and 30 and by a diagonal line of bend 34 formed in the body Ill. These lines of bend 34 are creased inwardly as shown in Figs.'2 and '3 and are maintained in a creased condition by stitchin 36. Lines 34 extend from the uppermost end of one line of fold 26 across the respective side wall I8 to the lowermost end of the opposite line of fold 26 as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. It is also notable that the lines of fold 26, on each'side of the side walls 18, diverge asthe brim I4 is approached, the width'of each side of the tip 24 of crown I2, being less than the width of side walls I8 at the lowermost edges thereof.

When the hat just described is in the open or operative position illustrated in Fig. 1, the tip 24,is substantially .flat as are the side walls. I8. Tip 24 being flexible, however, a dome shape may well be f ormed therein depending on the type of ornamental attachments used. Similarly, the hat need not'be fully opened, in which event the side walls l8 will be slightly indented along lines 34 and present an unique appearance. Durin folding. of the hatto a collapsed con dition,'.th'e.tip.24rotates on a central vertical axis and the section 20 of side wall I8 will overlap the section 22. The innermost face of the tip superimposes on a portion of the innermost faces of the sections 20 when the hat is collapsed, all as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The form of collapsible hat shown in Figs. 4

and 5 comprises a body I having a brim I02, and a crown I04 defined by a polygonal tip I06, and side walls I08. Lines of flex IIO, stitches as at II2 set oiT'tip portion I06 from side walls I08 and lines of fold H4, having stitching IIB, divide side walls I08 one from the other. Diagonal lines of bend IIB, stitched as at I20 segregate each wall I08 into a pair of sections I22 and I24. The creases for lines H0 and H4 .are along the outermost face of; body 1 00" While the creas'es'iforming lines IIS'a'r'e disposed inwardly. In the form now being described, the downwardly diverging lines I I4 extend entirely through the brim I02, terminating at the periphery not, brim I02. Also the diagonal lines I I8 extend from the junction point of one lined-Mand lines I I0 to the opposite line IMcatrthe-:periphery of brim I02. v g

It is apparent from the foregoing that--'-the"hat forming the subject matter of this invention is truly-eollapsible;and that WhEIif/SO collapsed, 1 a fiatwarticle is presented: that is ceasilyzp'aeked for shipment withoutn'damage wthereto :.In :any way. While only "two modifications have been shown and ?described, obviously "many changes "may "be made to satisfynparticulartastes without departfrom the SCODBEOf =thislinvention, as defined by thez-appended-claims, 1

--Having thus described the invention, fwhat "is sclaime'd-las :new and desired to-bew-secur'ed "by Letters Patent :is: r r p 11. (Ina :lha-tof'wthe cha'nacteri described, fa rbody fermedifrom flexible material to present a-crown and =a:brim,said crown havingarpluralityofside 1 3151f fold.

and a brim, said crown having a plurality of side walls set off one from the other by lines of fold, said side walls each having a line of bend dividing the same into a pair of sections, said line of bend being disposed to render the said crown collapsible to a substantially flat condition when the crown is folded on said lines of fold and said lines of bend, said line of bend of each side wall being diagonally disposed between,p airs of. said lines 5." In a hat of -the character described, a body formed from flexible material to present a crown and a brim, said crown having a plurality of side :wallsset off one from the other by lines of fold, said side walls each having a line of bend dividing the s'ame'intoa pair of sections, said line of bend being-disposed vto render the said crown collapsible to a substantially flat condition when the crown-is folded on saidlines of fold and said lines of bend, said lines ofifold extending from the rerown throughetheibrim"Unsaid-body? and termi- -natirrg at one end thereof at a 1 point on l the pcrripheryof said brim.

r "6. -:Ina:hat'of*the character describedfiazlbody stormed? fromfiem'blezmaterial to. present'fa grown and a brim, said crown havingiespluralitylnf side rwalls==set ofif one frcmitherothertby lines ofifold, isaidaside Walls-each having Zl-inepfrbend dividi-ng the-sameainto JapaiTiOf -TS BCUiGHS; saidllrine-zof bend being-sdisposed-:tomenderfthe'isaidlcrowm collapsible to a'lsubstantialiy .flaticonditionwhenzthe crownisifolded on said lines of fold and'said lines of bend, said lines sof 'IfQId :extending from Tthe crfown through theabrimofs'sai-d "body andatermii wallsset off onezfrom the-other by lines-ofcfold, 35 hating at oneqendtherecf tqazpoint'ionothe'gpeg. sa-idside walls each hayingalineoffbend dividiripheryrofesaid brimgsai'd-y es -of ibend-eextending ingthe same intoa pair-of-sections,:=said "Iineof ia nally from one edrge'z ofw'thevreSfl T ide bend; being disposed to *renderj the -sai'd*crown wallsof?saidQbody and'iterrninatingeat-saidipoint collapsible to asnbstantiaily fiat condition when 0 the brim periphery.

thecrown is folded onsaid lines ofv fold and said In a t b h hara tcrd ib d, a ody lines ofbend, there beinga pair of-sa-idlines 0f2f01dalong each side respectivelylofeach side' wall,-the lines (of =foldof each pair thereof. diverging as said brim of the' body is approached. 1

- 2. @In ahat of-"the characterdescribed,"a:body formed from flexible material to presentia crown having ,a Lplur-ality-of side walls set :off one-from the other by linesof 'told, said side WfiljlS each having a-lineof bend divid-i-ng, =the;samednto-a pair of =sections,*sa-id- Eli-H6 ofs bend-:being disposed to render the said crown collapsible-tea substantially-fiat condition when "the-crownis folded; on said lines of old-and: said dines. of-b'end, .said sections of -the side walls extending in oppositedirections from :said line of bend-inisubstantially the-sameplane. I g g 3. In a hat of thetcharacter=described,rafbody formed from flexible. material to present ascrown and abrim, saidvcrown having -aplurality rot-side wallsrset off onefrom theeotherr-by lines of iold, 1'50 said side Walls each having a linelof bendrdividing the same into a pair of s'ections,isa id line oftbend being disposed 'to1render the. .said .crowndcoll'apsibl'e to a substantiallyjfiaacondition when the crown islfolded on said'linesof "fold and said 2,149,468

thereof with saidfbrirnf l '4. 'In a hat of'the characterdescijibed; a'bojdy lines of bendsaid side walls merging at one edge formed from flexible material topresent'acrown V rimmed-{from rasingle piecenof:flexible :rn'aterial ito present a brim and ager-own having "a :tip,'-1'sai d crown ,beingssubstahtiallywubicaland-"having qon'e' open end opposite to said tip; number .=of-side -wallsfor-mine a parttof-said CI-0Wl,iSaid:-'tip7 :being whereby said crown. is rendered -1 collapsible to -=,a-

substantially [fiat condition when the crowniis folded along said lines lineslof flex. ELIZABETH H. RANKIN;

"REFERENCES :orrnn The following :references are 50f file of this patent:

v UNITEDfSTATES PATENTS Number 2' record in the of fold,,lines of benddand 

